I used to enjoy moving – seven times in the last six years. I planned it down to the last detail but when the removal lorry is five hours late, even the best plans can go horribly wrong.

So, it was that at 3am on Thursday night, the same removal lorry was stuck in a ditch outside my new house, digging an ever deeper rut for itself and me to get out of! All I had to look forward to the next day was driving the RCZ, Peugeot’s concept car in real world clothing.

Now we both loved the RCZ last year when we tried the 156bhp model. If only it had a little more power we thought… Well, Peugeot has just launched the R model, squeezing 270bhp from a 1.6 litre unit. It replaces the old ranger topper, the 1.6 200bhp version we have this week.

Compared to last year’s 156bhp model, this car is a a big step up. It still only has a modest 0-60mph time of 7.6 seconds but the power delivery is smooth, refined and quiet. It’s very good indeed and yesterday, I somehow managed 52mpg driving it – above the official consumption figure!

So, the stats look promising and the RCZ is as gorgeous as ever. Join us tomorrow for more words…